Without
our sponsors, you wouldn't see this site, please visit our
sponsors.

The
2001 Ararat Peace Climb

South
Side of Ararat; The Expedition will go to the
North Side.

Hello
EverestNews.com readers !

It is
Saturday in Dogubayazit and we are in the shadow of
Ararat. We got our first look yesterday after driving
north from Van along the lake of the same name. The
lake shimmered under the hot midday sun and its placid
waters defied the many local legends of sea monsters
and lost mariners. To the locals it is not a lake but
a sea.

Ararat
is impressive even from the south. We are in the dry
season although there is still quite a bit of snow up
high and the permanent ice cap which was obscured by
afternoon clouds.

Eastern
Turkey is much different - more traditional in many
ways. We are near the borders of Iran and Armenia
now.

We completed
another successful dinner last night hosted by local dignitaries
who are helping make this adventure a reality. Without
them this would not be happening. We again experienced
a close encounter with raki the strong national drink.
They call it the, lions milk, for how it makes you
feel. The Singapore climber, Swee,
calls it tequila without the sunrise.

The
mountain rises more than 11,000 feet above our vantage
point. the city is approximately the same height
as Denver Colorado and nothing is between us and the
base of the mountain.

This
does seem like an ancient land with biblical ingredients...
crushing earthquakes, explosive volcanoes and the rising
waters of epic floods. Robert Ballard of titanic
fame recently discovered human settlements many 100s
of feet below the surface of the Black Sea to the NW
of Ararat. There is other potential evidence of
flood waters high on the mountain itself. It makes for
some additional interest and a continuing mythology of
the unknown.

Best
regards, David

To
support this vision of peace, please make a donation, via
SHIVA charity. You can make a credit card donation by
clicking HERE.